Tottenham might break a Premier League rule as Roberto De Zerbi gets ready to make an important Deadline Day choice.
Tottenham Hotspur have been very active this summer, working hard to build a strong team for Roberto De Zerbi to compete for trophies this season. They’ve brought in players like Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali, and Savio, spending a total of £304.5 million.
Despite these exciting signings, Spurs didn’t get off to the best start, losing comfortably to both Brentford and Newcastle United in their first two matches. Because of this, De Zerbi and the club are looking to the transfer market again for help and are set to sign two players from their London rivals Chelsea.
Mykhailo Mudryk will join on loan, while defender Tosin Adarabioyo will make a permanent move for an initial £7 million, with add-ons. These two new players bring Spurs’ total summer signings to 10!
But there’s a catch – these signings push Tottenham over the Premier League limit for non-homegrown players. Clubs can register up to 25 senior players for the 2026/27 season, but only 17 of them can be non-homegrown. A homegrown player is someone who spent at least three full seasons at an English or Welsh club before turning 21, regardless of nationality.
With these new players, Spurs now have 18 non-homegrown players and will need to let one go to follow the rules.
The most likely option is to say goodbye to Richarlison, as Spurs want him to leave this summer. There were talks about him going back to Everton, with Iliman Ndiaye moving to Spurs in exchange. If Richarlison doesn’t leave by tonight’s deadline, he might just not be registered for the Premier League this season.
Another option could be to not register Xavi Simons for the first half of the season while he recovers from an ACL injury. This would give him time to heal and help the team in the second half of the season.
Lastly, Spurs could choose not to register new signing Martin Dubravka, but this would leave them without their backup goalkeeper, which probably isn’t ideal. If that happened, Brandon Austin would likely have to step up as the deputy keeper.